USA > Ohio > Darke County > The history of Darke County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men; > Part 72
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HENRY VANTILBURGH, farmer and stock-raiser; P. O. Greenville. We are pleased to make mention of the above gentleman among the old settlers of Darke Co. He was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, March 6, 1813. His father, John Vantilburgh, was born in New Jersey, and emigrated to Warren Co., Ohio, thence to Montgomery Co., and about the year 1835 came to Darke Co., where he died in 1837 ; his wife's maiden name was Sarah Francis ; the last fourteen years of her life were spent with her son Henry, and died at his residence about the year 1864. The subject of our sketch lived in Montgomery and Warren Cos. until 25 years of age, when he came to Darke Co., and after a residence of two years, re- moved to Preble Co., and in 1844 returned to Darke Co. and located upon his present place, where he has lived for a period of thirty-five years, and has since
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cleared about 60 acres by his own labor. Upon locating here, his worldly posses- sions consisted of one small team of horses, and he was in debt $65 ; he, with the assistance of his amiable wife, battled against poverty, until they have secured a pleasant home and have seenred sufficient of this world's goods to carry them through life. In June. 1843, he was united in marriage with Mabel F. Holly ; she was born in Butler Co., Ohio, in 1821 ; they have one son and six daughters, viz .. Nancy, Albinia, Eliza, Louisa, Sanford, Mabel and Maria.
E. H. VOELKLE, retired carriage and wagon maker, Greenville. Our subject was born in Cleveland. Ohio. Ang. 20, 1848 ; in 1853, he with his parents moved and located in Covington, Miami Co., where they remained until 1858, at which time they came to Gettysburg, Darke Co., and have since been residents of said county, he having been a resident of Greenville for several years. In April, 1879, he was elected to the office of Constable. which position he now holds.
JACOB WAGNER, proprietor Wagner House, Greenville, Ohio. We eat to live, and live to eat ; therefore. to point out a good hotel is an act of kindness which is sure to be appreciated by the hungry traveler. The genial pro- prietor of the above house is the oldest hotel keeper of Greenville, and has a reputation as a first-class man in his line, his house having a good reputa- tation, extending over a large part of Ohio, Indiana and other States. He was born in Reinpfaltz, Bavaria, Germany, Jan. 24, 1833 ; he received a good educa- tion in German in his own country, and emigrated to America when 24 years of age, landing in New York Dee. 1, 1857 ; coming directly West, he remained three years in Cincinnati, then one year in Louisville, Ky., thence to Miamisburg, Mont- gomery Co., where he was employed as clerk in a hotel from 1862 to 1864 ; thence to Dayton, where he engaged in the hotel business for himself until 1868, and in the fall of 1868 he came to Greenville and purchased King's Hotel. which he gave the name of Wagner, and which he has successfully run for a period of eleven years ; he also has a feed and sale stable connected with the house. He was mar- ried in Dayton, to Barbara Haas, in 1854; she was born in Hesse-Darmstadt. Germany, Jan. 2, 1838; they are the parents of two children, one of whom died in infancy ; the living, George Lewis, was born June 14, 1865. Mrs. Wagner is a daughter of Conrad Haas, who emigrated from Germany to America in the year 1868, and is now a resident of Miami Co. Mrs. Wagner emigrated to America in 1858, and located in Dayton, at which place her marriage nuptials were cele- brated with our subject.
JOHN H. WARVEL ; P. O. Pikeville; resides in Greenville Township, Sec. 1. One of the early pioneers of Darke Co .; born in Lebanon, Warren Co., Ohio, May 16, 1818. He was the oldest son of Christopher Warvel, who was born in Rockingham Co., Va., and came to Warren Co. in the year 1817, where he lived a few years, then to Montgomery Co .; and, in 1838, came to Darke Co., and located in the woods, near Beamsville, where he lived until his decease ; he was one of the patriots of the war of 1812, under Col. Massie. A full and complete genealogy of the family will be found in the sketch of Daniel Warvel, in another part of this work ; John H. received a limited education in the subscription schools in Warren and Montgomery Cos., and assisted his father in farming until 18 years of age, when he was apprenticed to learn the blacksmith's trade ; after working at the same for two years he was obliged to give it up on account of his eyesight failing him ; in Aug. 14. 1838, he came to Darke Co., and purchased 80 acres of land near where Beamsville now stands ; after residing there three years he lost his wife, and to pay the doctors' bills, he was obliged to sell half of his farm ; upon locating here. he settled in the woods. his milling was done at Piqua, and there was only two houses between his residence and Green- ville ; commencing life in penury, he has suffered all the privations and hardships of frontier life ; he has cleared 200 acres of land, and has now 275 acres of land upon the old homestead, a part of which was entered by him in the year 1850 ; he has been very kind to his children, and has settled upon each one money and land
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to the amount of $1,200. A part of the old homestead was entered by him in the year 1850 ; May 16, 1878, he was tendered a surprise by his friends and old ac- quaintances, to the number of 100, coming from different townships ; the company represented all ages from childhood to old age, bringing bountiful supplies of pro- visions and refreshments ; Rev. Mr. Colvin offered prayer and made some appro- priate remarks, after which James Johnston made an address ; the Dallas band furnished music for the occasion. His marriage with Mary Souders was celebrated May 31, 1838 ; she was born in Montgomery Co., Ohio, April 15, 1819; she died May 15, 1841, leaving two children, of whom one is now living, viz., Nathan S., born April 18, 1839-the other died in infancy. His second wife was Barbara Holloway ; they were married Dec. 19, 1841; she was born Jan. 30, 1820, and died Aug. 5, 1844, leaving two sons, one now living, Allen, born Sept. 21, 1842 ; Irving, born June 12, 1844, died July 8, 1873. He married for his third wife, Phebe Harney, March 9, 1845 ; she was born Aug. 29, 1820 ; she died Jan. 25, 1846, leaving one child, who died in infancy. His marriage nuptials with Mrs. Elizabeth (Beanblossom) Baker were celebrated Feb. 16, 1847 ; she was born Dec. 6, 1813, in Montgomery Co .; they have four daughters, and have lost a son by death ; the living are Charlotte, born Dec. 13, 1847, now Mrs. L. C. Garver, of Dallas ; Sarah A., born Oct. 13, 1849, now Mrs. Adam Johnston, of Brown Town- ship ; Elizabeth, born Sept. 25, 1853, now Mrs. Orlando J. Hager, of Dallas ; Emeline, born Feb. 10, 1857, now Mrs. George Garbick, living in Richland Town- ship. Mrs. Warvel is one of the oldest residents of Darke Co .; she is a daughter of Christian Beanblossom, who was born in North Carolina, and came to Darke Co. about the year 1817, and located in the woods among the wolves and Indians ; Mrs. Warvel has a vivid recollection of the familiar faces of the same. Her first husband was Andrew Baker, to whom she was married June 27, 1841 ; he died March 14, 1844; they had two children, who died in infancy. Mrs. Warvel located here when there was nothing but an Indian trail from here to Greenville ; she is now living upon the same place where she has lived for sixty years. Mr. Warvel has been administrator of many estates, has been guardian for many children ; has been Infirmary Director six years, and has held other offices.
NATHAN S. WARVEL, Sec. 1, Greenville Township ; one of the old settlers of Darke Co .; born in Richland Township April 18, 1839 ; he is the oldest son of John H. Warvel, whose biography also appears in this work. The subject of this sketch was raised upon a farm of his father's until upward of 20 years of age, and in 1859 he commenced business for himself by engaging in thrashing, which he has followed for eighteen years during the fall, being engaged for the balance of the year in farming. In 1861, he commenced farming in Richland Township, and in the fall of 1863 he exchanged farms with his uncle and located upon his present place, where he has since lived. Upon the 23d of December, 1860, he was united in marriage with Nancy J. Royer, who was born in Logan Co., Ohio, Dec. 8, 1839 ; she was a daughter of David Royer, who was born in Rockingham Co., Va., Feb. 11, 1807, and came to Ohio at an early day, and died Feb. 15, 1860, aged 53 years. The children of Nathan S. and Nancy (Royer) Warvel were four in number, of whom one is deceased ; the living are Martha S., born Oct. 22, 1863 ; Eva C., born June 21, 1865 ; Mary E., born June 9, 1868 ; the deceased died in infancy, Oct. 10, 1861. Mr. and Mrs. Warvel are both members of the Christian Church.
HENRY A. WEBB, the present Mayor of Greenville. The career, brief- ly outlined, of individuals chosen by the people to direct in government, whether of city, State or nation, may well be considered of most interesting char- acter. Too frequently honors are heaped upon men whose fame is based upon success in sanguinary conflicts, and the pages which record their achievements seem dark and repelling from their crimsoned hue. As often, the men whose quiet lives display manly action, strict integrity and true Christian principles, are quietly ignored as though the creations of peace were not comparable to the
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demolition and ravages of war. It is a well-approved saying, that the best of men seldom find their way to the front. When, however, exceptions occur, the lesson is fraught with encouragement and example to posterity. Ancestry is a subject of which men have long been proud. There is pleasure in tracing a long line of honorable ancestors back toward the obscure shadow of the past. This pleasure is enjoyed by the subject of this sketch, Henry A. Webb, whose line of eight generations is on record, from Christopher Webb, of Wales, who came from that country about the year 1650, on down to the present. The following gene- alogy presents the chain of descent : Christopher Webb the second, the father of Benjamin Webb, the father of Timothy Webb the father of Stephen Webb, born at Windham. Conn., Oct. 4, 1742, who was the father of Nathaniel Webb. horn Jan. 15, 1770, and died at Guyandotte, Va., Aug. 22, 1823; he was the father of Nathan Webb, born July 27, 1798, who married Margaret Albright, of Hanover, Penn., Oct. 31, 1819, and Nathan was the father of Henry A. Webb. The family removed to Vincennes, Ind., when Henry was an infant, from Hanover where he was born (Sept. 22, 1822), and the father dying, his widow, with a family of four children, returned to Pennsylvania. The journey is remembered as a long and tedious one, to which present travel is but as a pleasure-trip. At the age of 13, Henry was bound as an apprentice to George Young to learn the trade of tobac- conist ; having served six years, the desire to see other places, and to find a con- genial and promising opening for exertions, induced him to travel to various places, engaging in such work as could be had. On the 15th of June, 1845. he married Elizabeth Warner at Hampton, Penn., and three years later removed to Baltimore, Md., where he continuously engaged in his business as a dealer in tobaccos until 1870, when he migrated to his present place of residence, Green- ville. Ohio ; here he resumed business, which has prospered and been increased, until the present stock affords an ample choice to the public of all articles kept in a variety store. From childhood, Mayor Webb has shown a fondness for painting. and studiously labored during leisure hours to master the difficulties of this ideal and realistic work ; he succeeded, and many portraits extant are the work of his hand ; despite the discovery and perfection of sun pictures, his services are yet in demand. and the ancient and noble art yet exists. He was originally a Democrat, and cast his first vote for James K. Polk ; upon the nomination of President Lincoln to the office of chief magistrate of the nation the second term, Mayor Webb became a Republican. and has since continued to act with that party ; in March, 1878, his name was placed upon the Republican ticket for the city of Greenville, as Mayor, and his election resulted by a majority of about one hundred over his opponent, A. P. Gorsuch. Mayor for two terms. a strong. popular man, well calculated for the position. Believing in the refining and elevating tendencies of religion, he joined the English Lutheran Church, in 1848, at Baltimore, and remained with it till the time of his removal to Greenville ; there being no church of this denomination, he stood temporarily connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church four years, and acted as Superin- tendent of their Sabbath school ; he then began to attend the Episcopal Church, which considers him practically a member, and is the Superintendent of the Sab- bath school therewith connected. Ile joined the Washingtonians in 1840, and stands by the brief pledge of the organization-abstinence from the use of intoxi- cating liquors as a beverage. In 1844, he became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mechanics' Lodge, and is also of the Encampment of Greenville. Taking little part in politics. he acts from principle ; he is earnest in example and influence for Christianity, delights in painting, and is beloved by his family. and generally respected. Mayor Webb is of fine personal bearing, is well preserved, social, easy of approach, and a pleasant conversationalist. Following a quiet business and official routine, life is made useful, and the years pass swiftly and pleasantly.
NATHAN B. WEBSTER, merchant. Allen's Block, Fourth street. Green-
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ville ; dealer in groceries, provisions, glass and queensware, etc., etc. The subject of this memoir was born in Mt. Sterling, Madison Co., Ohio, Nov. 3, 1846, and is a son of J. S. Webster, now a prominent merchant of Ansonia, whose biog- rpahy appears among the sketches of Brown Township, in another part of this work; our subject came to Darke Co. with his parents in 1865; after one year's residence he removed to Illinois, where he resided until 1871, at which time he returned to Greenville and followed clerking and various pursuits until January, 1880, when he purchased his present business, and from his extended acquaintance and popularity we predict, that he will command a large increasing yearly trade. His marriage with Dottie Martin was celebrated in Greenville in April, 1872 ; she was born in Greenville Sept. 2, 1850 ; they have four children by this union, viz., William, Charles T .. Clyde and Gertrude. Mrs. Webster is a daughter of William Martin, one of the prominent early pioneers of Darke Co .. whose biography appears among the sketches of this township.
HERMAN WEILLS, carriage manufactory, Greenville. The subject of this sketch was born in Washington Co., Penn., May 23, 1851 ; he is a son of Solomon and Lydia (Shaffer) Weills ; he left his place of nativity in 1856, and went to Liberty, Union Co., Ind., where he remained until 1861 ; he then went to Tippe- canoe, Miami Co., Ohio, where he learned his trade, remaining there four years. He came to Darke Co ., and settled in Greenville in the fall of 1878. He was united in marriage with Catherine Porter Feb. 23, 1874 ; she was born Sept. 23. 1851, and is a daughter of James Porter, a resident of Hancock Co .. and is now living in Darke Co., at the age of 62 years ; his wife was born in 1828, and died in 1865. Mr. Weills' business is located at the corner of Walnut and Third streets, where he gives employment to several men, and manufactures some of the finest work in Greenville.
JOHN E. WESTFALL, retired farmer ; P. O. Greenville. Among the early pioneers of Darke Co., the gentleman whose name heads this sketch is accorded a place in the front ranks ; he was born near where the city of Cincinnati now stands Sept. 19, 1810 ; when 5 years of age, he came to Darke Co., with his parents and located in Adams Township; when 12 years of age, the death of his father occurred, and at 15 years of age, he commenced the management of the home farm, continuing the same until 22 years of age. In 1832. he was united in marriage with Priscellia Williams, who was born in Ohio Sept. 21. 1805 ; they were the parents of seven children, of whom George and Isaac Newton only survive, and are both mentioned in the biographical part of this work. In 1832, he removed to Greenville Township and purchased 30 acres upon the same section where he has since lived for a period of forty-seven years ; he has been a continuous resident of the county for sixty-five years ; he now has 145 acres in his home farm, located three miles from Greenville ; about the year 1869, he rented his farm to his sons, since which time he has retired from active labor. He has a vivid recollection of the Indians, the wolf and deer, and other game which in the early day of his coming here was to be found in abundance. He is one of the very oldest of our earlier settlers, nearly all of the pioneers of 1815 having either died or removed away.
MARTIN C. WESTFALL, farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 32; P. O. Green- ville ; one of the early pioneers of Darke Co .; born in Montgomery Co. in 1824 ; he was a son of Jacob Westfall. who was born in Virginia and came to Mont- gomery Co., Ohio, at an early day, and to Darke Co., about 1827, and was consequently one of the early settlers of Darke Co. ; he died in the same county, about the year 1839 or 1840. He was married in Montgomery Co. to Barbara Crawn ; she was also born in Virginia, and died at the residence of Martin C. in 1878, at the advanced age of 88 years. Martin C. came to Darke Co. in the year 1827, being then three years of age, and has always lived on the same place for a period of upward of half a century ; he is one of the oldest continuous resi- dents of Greenville Township ; he has now upward of 106 acres under a good
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state of cultivation, which he has brought from a howling wilderness to its present state of cultivation by his own labor. His marriage with Mary Pannel was celebrated in 1858 ; she was born in Virginia ; they were the parents of three children, of whom one is deceased ; the living are William L., born August, 1859. now living upon the home farm; Ida E., born in 1868 ; the deceased, Charles M., died in infancy.
GEORGE WESTFALL, farmer ; P. O. Greenville ; one of the old settlers of Darke County, was born in Greenville Township Jan. 19, 1841 ; he is the oldest son of John E. Westfall, one of our early pioneers, whose biography appears among the sketches of Greenville Township. The subject of our sketch received a liberal education, and assisted his father in agricultural pursuits until upward of 24 years of age, when upon March 30, 1865, he was united in marriage with Martha Phillips ; she was born in Butler Co., Ohio, Dec. 17, 1843 ; they have five children by this union, viz., Leora B., John W., Maggie M., Bertha O. and Arthur R. Upon the marriage of Mr. Westfall, he located upon his present place, where he has since devoted his attention to farming. In 1870, he was elected as Township Trustee of Greenville Township, which office he filled with credit to himself, and satisfaction to his townsmen, for a period of eight years.
ISAAC NEWTON WESTFALL, farmer ; P. O. Greenville; the subject of this memoir was born in Greenville Township, Darke Co., Ohio, upon the 21st of February, 1843 ; he is a son of one of the early pioneers, John E. Westfall, and a brother of George Westfall, both of whom are mentioned in the biographical part of this work in this township; in early life he applied himself closely to his studies, and by so doing succeeded in obtaining a good common-school education ; he has always followed the occupation of farining, and about the year 1869, rented a part of the farm of his father, which he has since operated. Upon the 4th of August 1864, he was united in marriage with Mary E. Bell, who was born in Gettys- burg, Adams Township, Nov. 29, 1846 ; they are the parents of five sons, viz., Oscar W., William E., Charles E., Alonzo R., and an infant unnamed. Mrs. Westfall was a daughter of Jacob Bell ; her mother's maiden name was Mary Zimmerman, both natives of Pennsylvania, and early pioneers of Darke County. Mrs. Bell com- ing here in 1838, her husband locating here a few years previous. Mr. Bell died in 1850; Mrs. B. now makes her home with her daughter, and, at the age of 61 years, is in possession of all her faculties, and able to perform some household duties.
WASHINGTON ALLEN WESTON, deceased, Greenville ; was born in Alexandria, Va., March 3, 1814, and died in Greenville, Ohio, April 24, 1876; his father, William Weston, was a sea captain and perished at sea ; his mother. Rebecca Conyes, was an English lady, and died soon after the death of her husband ; when an orphan boy of 15, he came to Ohio, and was six years a sales- man in a mercantile house in Dayton, where he made a record of fine business talent, industry and honesty ; about 1835, with a small capital, he began business in Piqua, Ohio, but the financial crisis of 1836-37 swept away every dollar he possessed ; nothing daunted, however, he soon began again in Covington, Miami County, where he prospered and became leader in the public affairs of the community ; in 1847, he was elected on the Whig ticket to the General Assembly of Ohio, and acquitted himself with credit; in the fall of 1848, he located in Greenville, and opened the first hardware store of the place ; in 1856, he purchased the Dayton paper mills, and for seven years conducted a thriving business in that city, and in 1863, returned to Greenville, resumed the hardware trade, and in Jan- uary. 1866, became one of the organizers of the Farmers' National Bank of Greenville, and President of the same, remnining such until his decease. He was prominently active in the local enterprise of the community, and his generosity was as universal as mankind, with a heart ever open, and a hand ever extended to relieve the necessities of the poor and unfortunate. He possessed a fine literary and scientific taste, and had a very fair education, and was a good conversationalist : he excelled as a writer, and contributed a number of timely
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articles to the public prints of the day. The guiding principle of his life was the Golden Rule.
A. WINKLEBLECK, contractor in supplies for P., C. & St. L. R. R. and dealer in timber, wood, bituminous and anthracite coal; office, Martin street, Greenville. The subject of this sketch was born in Montgomery Co., on the 2d of January, 1846. He has been a resident of Darke Co. for several years, and, on Dec. 25, 1865, he was united in marriage with Susan Gorsuch. They are the parents of six children, of whom three are deceased. The living are Homer C., Maud and Carrie C.
JOHN LEOPOLD WINNER, merchant, banker, and legislator, Greenville ; was born in Franklin, Warren Co., Ohio, November 19. 1816. His parents were Isaac Winner and Mary Powell, natives of New Jersey. They were married in Philadel- phia and came to Ohio in 1816, where they passed their lives. Mrs. Winner died in April, 1832, and her husband in the October following. For about four years subsequent to his father's death, our subject worked at the cooper's trade. In April, 1836, he came to Darke Co. and located in Greenville, where he has since been extensively identified with the business of the community, and has also held a prominent place in the political councils of the county and State. In No- vember, 1837, he married Miss Charlotte Clark, daughter of John Clark, Esq., of Warren Co., Ohio. For some five years Mr. Winner was in the grocery business. Eight years he kept a hotel. Four years he kept a drug store. In 1853, he en- gaged in banking in company with the late Col. J. W. Frizzell, and thus continued till May, 1865, when he became a stockholder in the Farmers' National Bank of Greenville, and, in January, 1866, he was made cashier of that institution, which posi- tion he held till January, 1872. In April, 1873, he opened the Exchange Bank of Greenville,and still conducts the business of that flourishing institution. His wife died Aug. 12, 1863. She possessed, in a high degree, those noble qualities of mind and heart so essential to a true wife, and was revered in the community for her sweetness of disposition and sympathizing charity for the poor and unfortunate. She left an only daughter, Hattie, who inherited the sterling qualities of her mother, but the loss of her mother so affected her that she survived her but a few weeks, dying at the age of 15 years. On April 1, 1867, Mr. Winner married Mrs. Jane Crider, widow of Frederick Crider, of Greenville, and daughter of John W. Porter of the same place. Since 1863, Mr. Winner has been a member of the firm of Moore & Winner, the leading dry-goods firm of the county. In 1846, he was appointed Auditor of Darke Co., to fill an unexpired term of four years, from 1857 to 1861 he represented Darke Co. in the Legislature, and from 1867 to 1871 he served in the State Senate. In 1874, he was elected Mayor of Green- ville, and served two years. In politics, he is a Democrat. Although his school advantages were very meager, his active mind has grasped a knowledge of men and things that fully compensates the loss.
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